It Begins With Hope
by secretfanficlover
Summary: Harry and his friends graduate and help rebuild the castle to its former glory, by also going through an emotional journey that shows that sometimes all ones needs is a tiny step in the right direction


**This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.**

Beta: chishibi

Word Count: 1929

Title: It Begins With Hope

The Golden Snitch

Olivanders: 9 inch: Write about a Gryffindor character.

Summer Camp

Write about the golden trio trying to rebuilding the Magical world after the Battle for Hogwarts (100 points)

It was easy to help fix the castle, but fixing the mentality of those who had lost everything, now that was much harder. Harry didn't struggle as much; he was relieved it was over, as guilty as that made him feel.

As much as it hurt to think of all the loss there was a nostalgic feel of the old stone building. He walked through the castle, looking at the statues and paintings that had been restored to their former glory. He sighed to himself as he walked through the empty halls, looking into classrooms which overflowed with memories of the past.

"What are you doing, Potter?" he heard the voice of his former nemesis.

"Same as you, I'd imagine," Harry replied.

"Which is what exactly? What am I doing?" Draco muttered.

"Remembering," Harry said simply, smiling sadly at Draco.

"I hate it," Draco replied savagely.

"Why is that?" Harry asked turning to him curiously.

"It hurts so much," Draco admitted, surprising Harry.

"What you're feeling right now is regret," Harry replied, his eyes filled with emotion.

"Come on, it wasn't all me," Draco said stubbornly.

"I never meant to imply it was. I feel the same way sometimes, it hurts to think you could have done more, saved more, chosen different, you know?" Harry responded.

"Ickle students!" Peeves cried, tossing acorns at them, interrupting the serious moment between them.

"Peeves, shove off! We aren't students anymore," Draco said rolling his eyes.

Draco heard Weasley's voice before he saw him walking around the corner.

"Hey, Harry, Malfoy bothering you?" Ron said, immediately assuming that they weren't getting along.

"Of course, I'm the villain," Draco responded with a sarcastic drawl.

"Ron, you know we're friends now," Harry said, smiling reassuringly at Draco, and looking between the two of them.

"You are the worst, Malfoy," Ron said childishly.

"There is no independent thinking in penguin society," Draco muttered under his breath.

Harry chuckled at the comment. "What's that? Did he insult me?" Ron asked, turning to Harry.

"Ron, why were you looking for me?" Harry asked, realizing this was going in circles.

"Oh, Crookshanks had kittens," Ron said.

"What's Hermione planning on doing with them?" Harry asked.

"I'll see you later, Potter," Draco said with a wink, leaving them to their discussion.

"She seems to be planning on giving the little beasts away," Ron replied.

"Oh come on, Ron, they can't be that ugly," Harry chuckled.

"Regardless," Ron said rolling his eyes. "One ball of fur is more than enough."

Harry didn't tell Ron he was planning to surprise Draco by getting him a ginger kitten, but he was sure Hermione would be on board with his plan.

He and Draco had somehow bonded in the wreckage of their old home and he got to know the sarcasm was just a mechanism to cope with everything he couldn't control.

He found Hermione in the Gryffindor common room; the cat had decided to give birth in the corner of the room, next to the burning fireplace on a red carpet.

When Harry saw the kittens he gasped and stood in awe of the little creatures. "Oh Hermione, they're beautiful," Harry said. Hermione's shoulders were pulled back and she had an awed grin on her face as she watched her cat nurse five little ones.

His eyes went from the kittens to the burn of the fire, and he sat down and watched it for hours, just thinking of what would come tomorrow. He was enjoying the humid heat filing the room.

"You want to give him one, don't you?" Hermione said, his gaze left the fireplace and met her eyes. She had always been the shrewd one of the group.

"Do you mind?" Harry asked.

"Of course not, honey, take four if you like," she said with a grin. "Just be careful, I'm not sure he is as smitten as you are."

Harry sighed loudly, causing Crookshanks to look up in disgust as if to tell them off.

"Am I that obvious?" Harry asked in a softer tone.

"Yes, but perhaps it's just because I know you so well," she replied. "Goodnight, Harry," she said leaving for the girls dormitory. It was over Christmas and Hogwarts was still closed for repairs, so only some of the seventh years that graduated remained in the castle, with a few of the order members, to try and get the castle fixed before the students are meant to return.

Harry fell asleep on the couch, listening the soft meowing and crackling of the fire. He woke up hearing a loud meowing cry from Crookshanks and woke up to see the cat shivering. He levitated some blankets of his bed to cover her and her brood, and then sent another flying downstairs to cover him. She meowed at him in thanks, before curling up to sleep again.

He felt more comfortable down here around the life than he did in the quiet dorms, where he is assaulted by nightmares of those they lost during the war.

He knew Dumbledore was planning on doing a remodel to help the younger ones with the transition. He remembered Dumbledore's words: "Practical, tactical, brilliance," he had said in the meeting earlier that day. Harry smiled at the thought, pulled of his glasses and curled up and fell back to sleep. Dumbledore had also insisted that the "effervescent youth was exactly what the school needed."

The next morning he awoke sore but refreshed. He was happy to have had a night without nightmares. One little kitten had wandered off from the rest, and he picked it up and put it down to nurse. Crookshanks narrowed her eyes but didn't move.

"I didn't take him," Harry insisted to the cat.

The next morning they all sat around the table, it felt strange that they were no longer students; but Aurors or various other career options. Draco was a financial consultant with the Ministry, Hermione was working in her father in laws department- Misuse of Muggle Artifacts.

Through it all, both Harry and Ron managed to scrape through with the necessary NEWTS to do the training.

Draco found it incredible that Harry had given as much as he had and still was fighting the fight to bring hope to the magical community. He thought Harry was the best kind of person and he was lucky to finally call him a friend.

Draco was sitting at breakfast when Harry walked up and surprised him by poking his sides, making him jump. "Merlin, Potter, trying to give me a heart attack," Draco said, scowling at him. Harry slid next to him and said with a grin: "Not today."

"Oh I see, you in one of those moods again," Draco said raising his eyes at Harry. Draco sighed over dramatically to hide the sparkle in his eyes. He secretly loved when Harry was like this, this was playful and fun, instead of sombre and brooding. Draco knew he was feeling guilty about the lives lost during the war, but Harry did all he could, and that was more than anyone can ask.

Draco was eating his bacon, when he saw the swift fingers of the Gryffindor snatching the last piece of bacon of his plate and biting into it with a cheeky grin.

"Hey! That was my last piece of bacon!" Draco said indignantly.

"Sharing is caring," Harry chirped in response.

Draco couldn't help but smile at his antics.

"Can I talk to you?" Harry queried.

"Since we're friends here…" Draco replied.

"Best friends I would say," Harry replied.

"I would say that," Draco replied with a smile.

"Lovers, maybe?" Harry asked.

"Uh, time will tell," Draco said with a slight smirk, he was surprised that Harry would suggest that they could be more than just friends.

"Well, come with me, I have something for you," Harry insisted, grabbing the Slytherin's hand as if he had done it a million times before. He held the Slytherin's hand until they reached the Gryffindor common room. Draco's eyebrows raised, he wasn't sure just what Harry could be up to. "You could come inside, or you could wait for me here, nobody bites," Harry said with a teasing grin; as if trying to dare him to say he wasn't comfortable in the Gryffindor common room.

"I'll come inside," Draco replied.

"Oh really?" Harry responded cheekily before muttering "Lemondrops" to the Fat Lady. Draco wouldn't admit it for the world but the Gryffindor common room felt warm and inviting, and didn't hold the horrors of the Slytherin common room. While many Slytherins hid during the final war, many of their parents had died or been sent to Azkaban after the end of it. "Sit, sit," Harry said excitedly before disappearing off somewhere.

Draco took a seat in front of the fireplace which looked like it had been slept on recently. Harry returned with a bouquet of white roses; a single red one among them. He was also carrying a little ginger ball of fur in his other hand. He was beaming as he walked over.

He placed the roses on the seat next to Draco, then handed over a kitten. "Roses and a kitten? Are you trying to woo me, Harry?" Draco replied curiously.

"Well, yes, but I thought she would help you sleep better at night," Harry said earnestly. He had never known Harry to be observant, but it seemed when the man cared about someone no lengths were to far to go too.

"You could help me sleep better at night," Draco replied before he could think about it; and blushed when he realised he was flirting. The little ginger ball of fur was purring on Draco's lap, and was curling up into a ball. "Does she have a name?" Draco asked, ignoring what he just said. He checked her tiny tag on her corral collar, and it read "_Hope_". He looked up and met an intensity in those emerald eyes he had never seen before. The silent question must have been in Draco's eyes: "_Why_?"

"Because she and her siblings were born during a time when Hope is needed most," Harry said; his own eyes filled with emotion. Draco felt at a loss. What could he say? Thank you wasn't enough.

"Thank you," he choked out. "She is beautiful."

A strange noise from above broke the tension of the moment.

"Of course, fair maiden," they heard Ron's voice from upstairs. They heard a thud and Harry suspected it was Hermione's hairbrush colliding with his head. "Ouch!" Ron shouted. Before Draco could disappear in the chaos with his gifts, he felt Harry take his hand gently. When Ron came rushing downstairs in a huff he didn't even notice the two on the couch holding hands. He went straight out the dorm without a word, and Harry could hear Hermione crying upstairs.

"And he calls me a jerk," Draco muttered, realising the married couple had an argument. Harry let go of the hand after giving it a squeeze, and then he disappeared upstairs to console his friend. Draco looked at the small bundle of life he had been entrusted with, and it gave him pleasure greater than the most expensive broomstick; not just because of who gave her to him, but also what she symbolised. Hope, and a new beginning; the chance at a happy life with someone he loved, yet he wasn't ready to admit that just yet. He would never have had a chance had Harry died during the war; and he was glad his father was gone.


End file.
